CONTROVERSIAL Kids Company founder Camila Batmanghelidjh has secretly vowed to defy the closure of her now-defunct charity and open a NEW office with private funding.

The defiant 52-year-old, who was award a CBE in 2013, saw her scandal-hit organisation forced to shut down earlier this month, but she now plans to keep the charity's work going, funded by private donations.

In a unrepentant email sent to her staff, she refused to take responsibility and instead blamed "outsiders" for the charity closure.

She wrote: "I’m still working to try and save elements of the project by getting different philanthropists to fund them.

"As soon as we’ve set up a new office I will get in touch with those of you who might want to make contact.

"I hope that, one day, the truth will come out of how much outsiders caused the destruction of the organisation and the reasons why they did it."

But her hopes will come as an unwelcome surprise to angry Kids Company staff who warned the charity was in trouble almost a decade ago and called on the flamboyant founder to take responsibility for its downfall.

The closure of Kids Company, which said it helped up to 36,000 poverty-stricken and vulnerable youths, followed allegations of sexual abuse, violence and drug taking involving young people in the care of the charity, as well as concerns of financial mismanagement - leading to the withdrawal of a major donor.

But in the email to her staff, Miss Batmanghelidjh appeared to take no responsibility for the charity's failings and instead blamed others, as well as calling for independent inquiry into the charity's closure.

She claimed to be "so sorry for the pain and havoc" caused by the closure and said her remaining regret was the difficulties faced by the staff and children.

The charity boss also blamed the media interest surrounding the charity's fall from grace.

She wrote: "I realise that in the current media heat the seeds of suspicion can be sown.

"This is further grown by the challenging circumstances many of you are finding yourselves in. In time, evidence will speak and diminish the destructive rumours that have caused havoc."

She insisted to have been "absolutely transparent about everything" with her staff, adding: "I'm very happy to talk through any financial decisions with anyone who cares to find out more."

But an employee who received the email said she was "just trying to blame everyone else".

They said: "I don't think she is sorry for what she has done.

"She is just trying to blame everyone else.

"She wrote about funding a new office. Does that mean it is the end Kids Company? Does it not? Is she starting something else?

"It is not going to work for her to run any organisation. Kids Company has shut and she has done that on her own."

The Charity Commission is currently investigating Kids Company over allegations of "financial management and governance issues."

A Kids Company spokesman denied Miss Batmanghelidjh would be running any projects linked to the charity, adding: "Despite the closure, ex staff are working long hours voluntarily to affect a safe transition into appropriate care structures for the most vulnerable clients."